Angle cock for air brake trainline in railway cars

ABSTRACT

An angle cock for a trainline is mounted centrally of the width of a railway car generally beneath the coupler. The angle cock comprises a valve movable between fully open and fully closed positions and a valve stem extending in a horizontal direction generally transversly of the car from opposite sides of the valve. A handle is mounted on each valve stem and is pivoted outwardly from a releasably locked position before rotation of the associated valve stem. After rotation of the valve stem and valve to the fully open or fully closed position the handle is pivoted inwardly to releasably lock the handle in position. The handles on opposite sides of the valve are interconnected so that the unlocking of one handle effects unlocking of the other handle therefore to permit rotation of the valve. Upon rotation of the valve to the fully open or fully closed position, the associated handle is pivoted inwardly to a locked position and simultaneous locking of the other handle is likewise effected.

United States Patent Randolph et al.

[ 1 May 16,1972

[54] ANGLE COCK FOR AIR BRAKE TRAINLIN E IN RAILWAY CARS [72] Inventors: Robert W. Randolph, St. Charles, Mo.;

Boris S. Terlecky, New York, NY.

[73] Assignee: ACF Industries, Incorporated, New York,

[22] Filed: July 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 53,210

[52] U.S. Cl. ..213/1 R, 137/349, 251/289, 248/67, 213/76, 285/63 [51] lnt.Cl ..B6lg 5/08 [58] Field ofSearch ..213/1 R, 1.3, 76; 285/63; 248/67; 137/349; 251/236, 238, 243, 249, 287, 288, 289

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,204,176 11/1916 Mitchell ..137/349 3,375,849 4/1968 Swartz 3,227,101 1/1966 Holden,Jr.. 869,003 10/1907 Marshall..... 935,944 10/1909 Strother ..137/349 Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Eugene N. Riddle 57 ABSTRACT An angle cock for a trainline is mounted centrally of the width of a railway car generally beneath the coupler. The angle cock comprises a valve movable between fully open and fully closed positions and a valve stem extending in a horizontal direction generally transversly of the car from opposite sides of the valve. A handle is mounted on each valve stem and is pivoted outwardly from a releasably locked position before rotation of the associated valve stem. After rotation of the valve stem and valve to the fully open or fully closed position the handle is pivoted inwardly to releasably lock the handle in position. The handles on opposite sides of the valve are interconnected so that the unlocking of one handle effects unlocking of the other handle'therefore to permit rotation of the valve. Upon rotation of the valve to the fully open or fully closed position, the associated handle is pivoted inwardly to a locked position and simultaneous locking of the other handle is likewise effected.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ANGLE COCK FOR AIR BRAKE TRAINLINE IN RAILWAY CARS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION the car. However, such prior art devices do not have a pair of manually actuated handles exposed to opposite sides of the car with the handles being releasably locked against rotation at open and closed positions of the valve and interconnected so that movement of one handle results in a simultaneous movement of the other handle to the same position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An angle cock or control valve in a trainline is mounted beneath the coupler generally centrally of the width of the railway car for controlling the flow of air through the trainline to the air brakes. The angle cock includes a valve having a valve stem extending from opposed sides of the valve in a horizontal direction generally transversely of the car. Each valve stem has a handle thereon which may be pivoted outwardly for unlocking prior to rotation of the valve stem, and pivoted inwardly for locking after rotation of the valve stem and valve to either a fully open or a fully closed position. A gear segment interconnects the opposed handles for simultaneous inward and outward pivotal movements upon manual actuation of one handle. Thus, a brakeman may manually manipulate the control valve from either side of the car and both handles will move simultaneously and indicate visually the position of the valve. The portion of the trainline carrying the control valve is connected for movement with the coupler upon a buff travel of the coupler which may be as much as I2 to inches with an end-of-car cushioning unit. The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated;

FIG. 1 is a top plan of an end portion of a railway car illustrating the trainline arrangement adjacent the end of the car;

FIG. 2 is a section generally taken along line of 2-2 of FIG.

1 showing the coupler and cushioning structure in a neutral position with the trainline arrangement supported therebeneath;

F IG. 3 is an enlarged top plan of the control valve of the present invention for controlling the flow of air through the trainline;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the control valve illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged section taken generally along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and illustrating a ball-type valve; and

FIG. 6 is an elevation of the control valve with the handle removed and illustrating the stops at the full open and full closed positions of the handle.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of this invention, a railway car is generally indicated 10 having an underframe 12 and a hat-shaped center sill 14 extending the length of the car. Center sill 14 has an open outer end formed by flared sides 16. An end sill 18 extends across the end of car 10 and a coupler carrier 20 extends across the open outer end of hat-shaped center sill 14 and is secured to the lower flanges thereof. A coupler generally designated 22 includes a coupler shank 24 and a couplerhead 26. Coupler shank 24 is pivotally connected about pin 28 to a yoke 30 which houses a rubber draft gear unit 31. A hydraulic cushioning unit generally designated 32 is positioned adjacent the rear end of yoke 30. Cushioning unit 32 is of the oleopneumatic type and includes an outer cylinder 34 and an inner cylinder 36. A metering pin 38 is mounted in outer cylinder 34 and a floating piston 40 is mounted in inner cylinder 36. A front end cap 42 on inner cylinder 36 forms the rear follower block of draft gear unit 31 with inner cylinder 36 extending through a suitable opening in yoke 30. Thus, the combination rubber draft gear unit 31 and hydraulic cushioning unit 32 are employed for cushioning buff and draft forces and buff travel of cushioning unit 32 may be around 15 inches. For further details of hydraulic cushioning unit 32, reference is made to US. Pat. No. 2,994,442, issued Aug. I, 1961, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by this reference.

Underframe 12 has a trainline arrangement generally designated 44 including a rigid intermediate pipe section 46, an intermediate flexible hose portion 48, and a rigid bent pipe end portion 50. A control valve or angle cock generally designated 52 is mounted on the outer end of rigid bent pipe portion 50 and a flexible end hose 54 extends therefrom to gladhand 56. A chain 58 supports end hose 54 from the underside of coupler head 26.

Suspending trainline rigid pipe portion 50 for sliding movement with coupler 22 upon impact forces being exerted against the coupler is a guide rod 60. Guide rod 60 is mounted on a bracket 62 secured to the underside of center sill 14 and a bracket 64 secured to coupler carrier 20. A clamp 66 secured to rigid pipe portion 50 has an eye receiving rod 60 and mounting clamp 66 for sliding movement along rod 60. A guide 68 is secured to the underside of coupler carrier 20 and rigid pipe portion 50 is free to move longitudinally relative to guide 68.

To mount rigid pipe section 50 for movement with coupler 22 in a longitudinal direction, a rigid guide 70 is secured to pipe section 50 at clamp 66 and extends to a bracket 72 which is secured to yoke 30 for movement therewith. The upper end portion of bracket 72 fits within a slot 74 in a lower cover plate of the center sill structure 14 and moves longitudinally in slot 74 upon longitudinal movement of coupler 22 inwardly from the exertion of buff forces, such as 15 inches or more. Thus, movement of yoke 30 effects movement of bracket 72, guide 70 and rigid trainline end portion 50 carrying angle cock 52. Clamp 66 rides along guide 60 and end portion 50 moves longitudinally relative to guide 68 upon the longitudinal movement of coupler 22. Flexible hose portion 48 permits movement of rigid end portion 50 relative to rigid pipe portion 46 and a broken line showing of bracket 72 in FIG. 2 indicates the full buff position of coupler 22.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3-5, angle cock or control valve 52 is illustrated which forms an important part of this invention. Angle cock 52 comprises a main body 78 having a fitting 80 on opposed sides, one fitting 80 being connected to flexible hose 54 and the other fitting 80 being connected to the rigid pipe end portion 50. An axial bore 82 extends through main body 78 and a ball valve 84 is mounted for rotation between open and closed position within bore 82. Ball valve 84 is illustrated in open position in FIG. 5 and is rotated to a closed position. A trunion 86 is mounted on opposed sides of ball valve 86 and includes a valve stem 88 extending outwardly from valve body 80. An adapter 90 is secured about the outer end of each stem 88 and a manually actuated handle generally indicated 91 is pivoted about a pin 92 mounted within a suitable opening 93 on the associated adapter 90. A torsion spring 94 is mounted about each pin 92 and secured to handle 91 and associated adapter 90 to continuously urge the associated handle 90 to an inward retracted position. Adapter 90 has a pair of outwardly extending opposed lugs 96 and an extension 98 spaced circumferentially from lugs 96. Handle 91 has a central opening 100 and opposed lower lands or circumferential abutments 102 which are adapted to engage lugs 96 upon an outward pivotal movement of handle 91 thereby to limit the outward pivotal movement of handle 91. An indentation 104 in handle 91 receives extension 98 and interconnects handle 91 with adapter 90 for rotation therewith. Extension 98 remains within indentation 104 during outward pivoting of handle 91 thereby effecting rotation of ball valve 84 at all times upon rotation of handle 91.

Mounted on body 78 are stops 106 and 108 as shown in FIG. 6. Extension 98 abuts stop 108 in the full open position of ball valve 84 and abuts stop 106 in the full closed position of ball valve 84. Each handle 91 has a pair of lugs 110 thereon one of which abuts either stop 106 or stop 108 when handles 91 are in an inward retracted position at full open or full closed position. In a full open position, one lug l abuts stop 106 and in the full closed position the other lug 1 10 abuts stop 108. Torsion springs 94 retain handles 91 in retracted position. Thus, valve 84 and associated stems 88 are prevented from being rotated when handles 91 are in a retracted position since one of the lugs 110 on each handle 91 will be engaged eitherby stop-106 or 108 thereby to restrain any rotation of valve 84.

Each handle 91 has a yoke on its inner end forming arms 112 which terminate in gear type teeth 1 14. Teeth 1 14 on one handle 91 mesh with teeth 114 in a co-acting handle 91 thereby to interconnect handles 91 for simultaneous inward and outward pivotal movement about pins 92. Thus, upon grasping one handle 91 from one side of railway car 10 and pivoting the handle outwardly, the meshing teeth 114 which act as gear segments result in the outward simultaneous movement of the opposed handle 91 thereby to disengage lugs 110 from the stops 106 and 108 on the valve body 78. In this position, the associated handle 91 may be rotated 90 to rotate valve stems 88 and associated valve 84. The rotation of handle 91 is restrained by contact of extension 98 with either stop 106 or 108. Upon contact with stop 106 or 108 release of handle 91 will result in handles 91 returning to an inner retracted position under the bias of torsion springs 94.

Thus, a handle 91 may be manually gripped from either side of car 10 thereby to eliminate the necessity of a workman having to cross across the railway tracks or between adjacent cars in order to actuate the air brake system. Angle cock 52 is positioned beneath coupler 22 and is protected upon the bypassing of another coupler since couplers usually bypass laterally and thus, angle cock 52 would not normally be damaged by a bypassing of a coupler. Further, rigid end portion 50 is connected by guide 70 and bracket 72 for direct movement with yoke 30 upon a longitudinal movement of coupler 22. Thus, any long travel cushioning device, such as a inch hydraulic cushioning unit, may be easily employed with the present trainline arrangement. As an example of a trainline arrangement mounted for longitudinal movement with coupler 22, reference is made to US. Pat. No. 3,446,364, issued May 27, 1969, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by this reference.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air brake trainline for a railway car having an underframe and a coupler shank extending from an end of the underframe; a valve for controlling the flow of air through the trainline to the air brakes, means mounting the valve at a position beneath the coupler shank generally centrally of the width of the car, a pair of manually actuated handles pivotally connected adjacent opposite sides of the valve, one of the handles being positioned to be actuated from one side of the car and the other handle being positioned to be actuated from the opposite side of the car, stop means on the valve engaging the handles and preventing rotation of the handles at the fully open and fully closed positions of the valve when the handles are pivoted inwardly, the stop means being disengaged with the handles upon the outward pivoting of a handle thereby to permit rotation of the valves between open and closed positions, and means interconnecting the handles for simultaneous outwardpivotal movement to a disengaged position upon the outward pivoting of one handle thereby to permit rotation of the valve.

2. In an air brake trainline for a railway car as set forth in claim 1, said interconnecting means comprising interfitting teeth on the handles with the pivoting of one handle driving the teeth on the other handle to pivot the other handle simultaneously.

. In an air brake trainline for a railway car as set forth in claim 1, a valve stem extending in a horizontal direction transversely of the railway car on opposite sides of the valve, said handles being mounted on said stems for rotation of the stems to open and close the valve.

4. In an air brake trainline for a railway car having an underframe and a coupler extending from an end of the underframe; an angle cock mounted beneath the coupler generally centrally of the width of the railway car for controlling the flow of air through the trainline to the air brakes, said angle cock comprising a valve movable between a fully open and a fully closed position, a pair of opposed manually actuated handles beneath the coupler pivotally connected on opposed sides of the angle cock and operatively connected to the valve for rotating the valve between open and closed positions upon rotation of one handle, one of the handles being positioned to be gripped manually from one side of the car and the other handle being positioned to be gripped manually from the other side of the car, stop means on the angle cock engaging the handles at the fully open and fully closed positions of the valve to prevent rotation of the handles when the handles are pivoted inwardly, the stop means being disengaged with the handles upon an outward pivotal movement of the handles thereby to permit rotation of the valve between open and closed positions, and means interconnecting the handles for simultaneous outward pivotal movement to a disengaged position upon the outward pivoting of one handle thereby to permit rotation of the valve.

5. In a railway car having an underframe including a fixed center sill structure with an open outer end, a coupler having a shank extending within the open outer end, and a cushion unit operatively connected adjacent the rear end of said coupler shank and having a buff travel of at least 9 inches for cushioning impact forces exerted against the coupler; a trainline having an end portion and a flexible portion adjacent the end portion, means operatively connecting the end portion to the adjacent cushion unit for movement therewith upon impact forces being exerted against the coupler whereby the end portion moves with the coupler and cushion unit relative to the underframe, an angle cock carried by the trainline end portion and mounted beneath the coupler for controlling the flow of air through the trainline, said angle cock comprising a valve movable between a fully open and a fully closed position, a pair of opposed manually actuated handles beneath the coupler pivotally connected on opposed sides of the valve for rotating the valve between open and closed positions upon rotation of one handle, one of the handles being positioned to be gripped manually from one side of the car and the other handle being positioned to be gripped manually from the other side of the car, stop means on the valve engaging the handles at the fully open and fully closed positions of the valve to prevent rotation of the handles when the handles are pivoted inwardly, the stop means being disengaged with the handles upon an outward pivotalmovement of the handles thereby to permit rotation of the valve between open and closed positions, and means interconnecting the handles for simultaneous outward pivotal movement to a disengaged position upon the outward pivoting of one handle thereby to permit rotation of the valve. 

1. In an air brake trainline for a railway car having an underframe and a coupler shank extending from an end of the underframe; a valve for controlling the flow of air through the trainline to the air brakes, means mounting the valve at a position beneath the coupler shank generally centrally of the width of the car, a pair of manually actuated handles pivotally connected adjacent opposite sides of the valve, one of the handles being positioned to be actuated from one side of the car and the other handle being positioned to be actuated from the opposite side of the car, stop means on the valve engaging the handles and preventing rotation of the handles at the fully open and fully closed positions of the valve when the handles are pivoted inwardly, the stop means being disengaged with the handles upon the outward pivoting of a handle thereby to permit rotation of the valves between open and closed positions, and means interconnecting the handles for simultaneous outward pivotal movement to a disengaged position upon the outward pivoting of one handle thereby to permit rotation of the valve.
 2. In an air brake trainline for a railway car as set forth in claim 1, said interconnecting means comprising interfitting teeth on the handles with the pivoting of one handle driving the teeth on the other handle to pivot the other handle simultaneously.
 3. In an air brake trainline for a railway car as set forth in claim 1, a valve stem extending in a horizontal direction transversely of the railway car on opposite sides of the valve, said handles being mounted on said stems for rotation of the stems to open and close the valve.
 4. In an air brake trainline for a railway car having an underframe and a coupler extending from an end of the underframe; an angle cock mounted beneath the coupler generally centrally of the width of the railway car for controlling the flow of air through the trainline to the air brakes, said angle cock comprising a valve movable between a fully open and a fully closed position, a pair of opposed manually actuated handles beneath the coupler pivotally connected on opposed sides of the angle cock and operatively connected to the valve for rotating the valve between open and closed positions upon rotation of one handle, one of the handles being positioned to be gripped manually from one side of the car and the other handle being positioned to be gripped manually from the other side of the car, stop means on the angle cock engaging the handles at the fully open and fully closed positions of the valve to prevent rotation of the handles when the handles are pivoted inwardly, the stop means being disengaged with the handles upon an outward pivotal movement of the handles thereby to permit rotation of the valve between open and closed positions, and means interconnecting the handles for simultaneous outward pivotal movement to a disengaged position upon the outward pivoting of one handle thereby to permit rotation of the valve.
 5. In a railway car having an underframe including a fixed center silL structure with an open outer end, a coupler having a shank extending within the open outer end, and a cushion unit operatively connected adjacent the rear end of said coupler shank and having a buff travel of at least 9 inches for cushioning impact forces exerted against the coupler; a trainline having an end portion and a flexible portion adjacent the end portion, means operatively connecting the end portion to the adjacent cushion unit for movement therewith upon impact forces being exerted against the coupler whereby the end portion moves with the coupler and cushion unit relative to the underframe, an angle cock carried by the trainline end portion and mounted beneath the coupler for controlling the flow of air through the trainline, said angle cock comprising a valve movable between a fully open and a fully closed position, a pair of opposed manually actuated handles beneath the coupler pivotally connected on opposed sides of the valve for rotating the valve between open and closed positions upon rotation of one handle, one of the handles being positioned to be gripped manually from one side of the car and the other handle being positioned to be gripped manually from the other side of the car, stop means on the valve engaging the handles at the fully open and fully closed positions of the valve to prevent rotation of the handles when the handles are pivoted inwardly, the stop means being disengaged with the handles upon an outward pivotal movement of the handles thereby to permit rotation of the valve between open and closed positions, and means interconnecting the handles for simultaneous outward pivotal movement to a disengaged position upon the outward pivoting of one handle thereby to permit rotation of the valve. 